Three-Year Argument

The monks at a remote monastery deep in the woods followed a rigid vow of silence. Their vow could only be broken once a year—on Christmas—by one monk. That monk could speak only one sentence. One Christmas, Brother Thomas had his turn to speak and said, "I love the delightful mashed potatoes we have every year with the Christmas roast!" Then he sat down. Silence ensued for 365 days.

The next Christmas, Brother Michael got his turn and said, "I think the mashed potatoes are lumpy, and I truly despise them!" Once again, silence ensued for 365 days.

The following Christmas, Brother Paul rose and said, "I am fed up with this constant bickering!"

Excuse me, Are you Jesus?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!!

He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears.. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly. " As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...."

He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

An e-mail that was written awhile back

Trash

Just the other day Tori was home when the men from the city came to get our trash. As they were hooking the trash can up to the truck Tori got somewhat upset. So as any caring father would do I asked her, “what was making her feel this way?” Her reply kina shocked me, “I don’t want them to take my trash,” she said. The next question is kinda obvious, “why not?” “Because it is mine,” was the shy reply behind teary eyes. This caused me to stop and think….

Then God let me have it. Is this what He meant with Psalm 23? Have I like so many before me picked up baggage that was never intended for me? Am I holding onto my trash? Has junked filled my life?

Rest good sweet rest.

Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 23

Rest from the burden of a small god. Why?
--Because I have found the Lord

Rest from doing things my way. Why?
--Because the Lord is my Shepherd

Rest from endless wants. Why?
--Because I shall not want

Rest from weariness. Why?
--Because He makes me lie down

Rest from worry. Why?
--Because He leads me

Rest from hopelessness. Why?
--Because He restores my soul

Rest from guilt. Why?
--Because He leads me in the path of the righteousness

Rest from arrogance. Why?
--Because of His name’s sake

Rest from the valley of death. Why?
--Because He walks me through it

Rest from the shadow of grief. Why?
--Because He guides me

Rest from loneliness. Why?
--Because He is with me

Rest from shame. Why?
--Because He as prepared a place for me in the presence of my enemies

Rest from my disappointments. Why?
--Because He anoints me

Rest from envy. Why?
--Because my cup overflows

Rest from doubt. Why?
--Because He follows me

Rest from homesickness. Why?
--Because I will dwell in the house of my Lord forever

God never intended for us to carry all the burdens and trash around that we think we can, His intention was for us to turn to Him and let Him carry it. We must remember that it was Him who said cast all our cares upon Him for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Pete paraphrased.

Junk Mail

God's Junk Mail

The other 20 million finalists might as well give up. One of the gold-sticker-laden sweepstakes entry forms and magazine sales pitches that show up just about weekly in most Americans' mailboxes has been sent to God.

American Family Publishers sent its computer-generated entry form to "God of Bushnell," at the Bushnell Assembly of God, a church in central Florida.

"God, we're searching for you. You've been positively identified as our $11 million mystery millionaire," the form read.

The fine print showed the Creator was merely a finalist, but the letter encouraged him to try his luck.

"Imagine the looks you'd get from your neighbors … but don't just sit there, God, come forward now and claim your prize."

Bill Brack, the church's pastor, told the Tampa Tribune that he had not yet decided whether the church would enter the sweepstakes. "God already has $11 million," he said.

—Reuters Limited. Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 3.